Dave Arsenault's Genealogy and History Pages

Children of James and ???? were [1]:

1. Hannah Swallow, born circa 1858 Hepworth, West Yorkshire, married Joseph Dixon.
2. Martha Swallow, born 1860 Hepworth, West Yorkshire, married Alfred Foster.
3. Loraine Swallow, born circa 1863, Hepworth, West Yorkshire.
4. Ann Swallow, born circa 1865, Hepworth, West Yorkshire.
5. John Swallow, born circa 1870, West Ardsley, West Yorkshire.

Family History Details

Close examination of the above portrait of James Swallow suggests that it is a poorly taken or developed photograph that has been retouched with drawn features to produce a clearer portrait. Based on his apparent age in the picture, this would have been a very early photograph, possibly taken before 1880.

Jem (James) Swallow is most likely the father of of Martha Swallow, considering that Jem Swallow later lived at West Ardsley, as did Martha and family, and in the 1881 census there was a James Swallow father of Hannah Dixon living with the Dixon family at Barnsley. This James Swallow was a coal miner.

In 1891, James was living alone at Baghill, West Ardsley, employed as a road man.

James spent much time travelling around England with a friend who was a well-known boxer. He was often away from home for extended periods. [1].

There is an old family anecdote about James when he was an elderly man. Apparently as a result of his age he had a tendency to drool, and people would sometimes tease him by saying "Wipe your chin Swallow!", to which he would always reply threateningly, "I'll wipe thy chin!". [1].

According to the 1901 census, Ernest Foster (aged 18) was living at the home of his grandfather in Ossett, one Henry Wrigley, a widower aged 70, born at Hepworth, and employed as a road labourer. This creates an interesting mystery, since Ernest's two natural grandfathers would have been Alfred Foster's illegitimate father who is unknown, and James Swallow. Interestingly, James Swallow was born in Hepworth, was a road labourer in the previous census, and would have been abbout 70 in 1901. If Henry Wrigley was really James Swallow, why the different name? Was it an error in the census-takers records, or had James Swallow adopted an alias for some reason? There is also a record of a Henry Wrigley of about the correct age dying in Ossett in 1905 (age 75).